I cannot claim authorship of this poem, but it warmed my heart nonetheless. The poet's name is Leslie Honore. Here is her poem :
"Brown girl brown girl
What do you see
I see a Vice President
That looks like me
Brown girl brown girl
What do you do
I fought I hoped
I spoke what was true
Brown girl brown girl
What do you know
That there are strong women
Who want me to grow
Brown girl brown girl
What do you feel
That #blackgirlmagic
Will help us all heal
Brown girl brown girl
What do you see
A world that sees my skin
before it sees me
Brown girl brown girl
Whatcha gonna do
March, fight and create
Till I make this world new
Brown girl brown girl
How are you so strong
'Cause I got Queens in my blood
To help push me along"
It has almost been one week since the new Administration has moved in & I am still in awe of the wonderful reality that someone of my gender occupies the second-highest office in the nation. Although my heritage is neither Black nor Brown, I celebrate Kamala Harris' history-making alongside my sisters-of-color. As a White woman, I cannot pretend to understand their reality , but I can and do celebrate our first female ** and** person-of-color Vice President.
I spent a lot of Year 2020 owning up to the fact that my Whiteness -- and nothing more than Whiteness--- affords me the privilege that my sisters-of-color do not enjoy. I've honed some active listening skills and sat with my discomfort as some of these women told their stories about being both Black & female in 21st-century America.
We have made BIG strides in equality, and in spite of the previous Administration's attempts to roll back civil rights for women & people-of-color, equality prevailed.
My beautiful niece and nephew { ages 5 and 7 } will see parts of their heritage mirrored in Vice President Harris. My niece, especially, will grow up unaware that for over 200 years, women were not represented in the West Wing. Furthermore, she now sees a woman whose skin tone is close to her own as the person who is second-in-command.
Feminism , in order to work, must be intersectional. Perhaps we White women can use the historic election of Vice President Harris as a catalyst for listening to our sisters-of-color tell their stories. Let us model for girls the strength that comes from women-- ALL women-- uniting to change the world for the better.
Also, I am reminded that feminism in also for our trans sisters. Too often, women's rights leave out the issues of women who, unlike me, were not assigned female at birth. Trans women are women, and they deserve a seat at the Big Table .
Wear those pearls! Let us concentrate on lifting each other up as we move forward as American women.
Namaste...
Sarah McCarren
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